Enviga drink by Coca Cola, health benefit and review

Enviga, a caffeinated sparkling Green tea drink, became available in February 2007 across the United States after being sold in New York City, New Jersey and Philadelphia since November 2006. The Enviga drink was created by Beverage Partners Worldwide, a joint venture between Coke and Nestle, which stood by its product.

Enviga weight-loss claims not allowed
Coke, Nestle, and Beverage Partnership Worldwide (BPW) have settled charges that they falsely advertised that Enviga, a green tea beverage, can result in weight loss by burning extra calories. The charges were brought by coalition of 26 states and the District of Columbia, led by Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal. The companies have agreed to re-label Enviga and any similar product to add disclosures, to disclaim any weight loss benefit, and to note that weight loss is only possible through diet and exercise. They also agreed to pay $650,000 to the states. In 2007, Blumenthal began investigating questionable claims that drinking Enviga would burn more calories than it contains and implying that consuming the product would lead to weight loss.

Connecticut attorney general wants proof Enviga burns calories
February 2007 - Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal says his office is looking for proof that Enviga, a new drink from Coca-Cola Co. and Nestle burns calories, as the companies claim. Letters were sent to Beverage Partners Worldwide, Coke and Nestle seeking evidence to support the calorie-burning claims. "Beverage Partners Worldwide stands behind the science that supports our claim that Enviga invigorates your metabolism to gently burn calories," a spokesman for Enviga said. "We have been clear that Enviga is not positioned as a weight-loss product but is designed to compliment, not replace, regular exercise, a sensible diet and other healthy choices you make throughout the day." "Enviga is designed to work with your body to increase calorie burning," Dr. Rhona Applebaum, Coca-Cola's chief scientist, said in a statement about the product's launch. "It creates a negative calorie effect -- in other words, you burn more calories than you get from drinking it." Blumenthal wants evidence such as copies of scientific studies, clinical trials and tests to support the calorie-burning claims, along with information about any group that may have sponsored such studies. In its statement, Beverage Partners Worldwide said that a recent study conducted by Switzerland's University of Lausanne, in cooperation with the Nestle Research Center, found that consuming the equivalent of three cans of Enviga in one day resulted in burning more calories. "The accumulated body of scientific research shows that a combination of caffeine and green tea extract high in EGCG (epigallocatechin gallate) invigorates metabolism to gently increase energy use," Nestle researcher Dr. Hilary Green said in the Beverage Partners Worldwide statement. According to the companies, studies showed that when EGCG and caffeine were present at levels comparable to that in three cans of Enviga, "healthy subjects in the lean-to-normal weight range" can burn an average of 60 to 100 more calories.

The Center for Science in the Public Interest suing Coca-Cola and Nestlé
February 2007 - Calorie burning claims by Enviga challenged. The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) is suing Coca-Cola and Nestlé for making fraudulent claims in marketing and labeling for Enviga. Enviga is claimed to have "negative calories" and to "keep those extra calories from building up." The product's Web site also says the drink is "much smarter than following fads, quick fixes, and crash diets." Enviga consists of carbonated water, calcium, concentrated green tea extract, various "natural flavors," and ingredients typically found in diet soda, such as caffeine (three diet colas' worth), phosphoric acid, and the artificial sweeteners aspartame and acesulfame potassium. The company says its green tea extracts are high in an antioxidant called epigallocatechin gallate, or EGCG. Enviga main claims are based on a 72-hour Nestlé-funded study of 31 people who were given a drink containing amounts of EGCG and caffeine equivalent to three cans of Enviga. An abstract of the unpublished study stated that on average, those subjects expended more energy. However, none of the 31 were overweight or obese when the study began.

How is Envigo drink available?
Envigo drink is being sold in three flavors -- green tea, berry and peach.

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